New Notes to Play
by xxxFernmist's Lullabyxxx
Summary: Skye wakes up one morning in the forest... What else? She's a cat! She gets a new name, Fernpaw, meets a new friend, Briarpaw from Shadowclan, joins Riverclan, and the rest? Well... You'll have to read to find that out...  Seriously. Give it a chance.
1. Chapter 1

Skye opened her ice blue eyes slightly and bright light flooded her vision. She sat up and looked at the strangely uncomfortable bed she was sleeping on, only to find it wasn't her bed... It was springy, green grass! She looked around, heart pounding. Oak trees surrounded her, birds sang their merry songs, and the sun hadn't risen into the sky yet. The speckled silver fur on the girl's pelt prickled with nervousness and she paced in circles, her tail tip twitching. Wait... Fur? Tail? Skye was a cat!

_I'm dreaming. I have to be..._

The dizzying thoughts made Skye's head whirl and she sat down to avoid falling to the dusty ground.

_I have to make the best of whatever is going on._ The thought was the best the lost she-cat could think of, so she went with it.

Skye padded cautiously in a random direction, not knowing what she would find. The tall oaks turned to pine trees and the sharp needles that littered the ground began stabbing her pads, making them crack and bleed, but Skye continued on. Her paws ached, screaming at her to stop, so she swept away some pine needles with her brown tail and lay down to rest, only to jump to her paws again, pelt bristling.

"What are you doing on ShadowClan territory?" a she-cat's voice had growled. A dark brown cat stepped out of the shadows, lips drawn back in a snarl. She lashed out a paw, knocking Skye over and pinning her by her throat.

"I-I didn't know! I wasn't doing harm! I promise!" Skye's voice was a hushed whimper as she struggled to get free, flailing her paws.

The cat's claws dug into Skye's flesh but then the grip loosened and Skye gasped, taking in a deep breath, "Fine... You can't be much of a threat. Are you looking for your Clan?"

Skye nodded, not sure what the she-cat was was rambling about. She decided to play along with it, just to figure out more about these "Clans", "Who are you?"

"I'm Briarpaw. Now, which Clan are you from? I hope you're not part of those fish-faces that call themselves RiverClan," she spat, screwing up her face in pure disgust.

"RiverClan" was all she had mentioned so Skye took a chance and mewed shyly, "My clan isn't fish-faces..."

"So you are part of RiverClan?" Briarpaw looked like she wanted to claw Skye's ears off, but instead, her gaze turned away, "I guess I'll show you to the border..." She flicked her tail, signaling for Skye to follow, and then stalked toward the faint smell of fish.

The trek wasn't very long. They turned where a strong, musty smell filled the air, and began following a black, rocky path.

Skye looked at the lush flowers and trees on the other side and began drifting to the side, following the tempting smell of squirrel. She didn't seem to notice the musty smell growing stronger as she watched the creature climb down a tree toward a fallen pecan. Her mouth watered at the sight of the plump prey, but it looked her way and scampered away from the nut and into a bush, its bushy light brown tail dissapearing last.

Skye snapped out of her daze sadly, her belly rumbling with hunger. She sighed and turned away, then froze in horror. A large truck was tearing down the path toward her!

"Watch out!" Briarpaw's yowl was almost completely drowned out by the rushing air and the blaring horn of the truck.

Skye wailed and crouched down, expecting pain to flash through her whole body in a heartbeat.

_Someone save me!_

The deafening sound suddenly died away, and Skye opened her eyes and stood slowly, her entire body shaking uncontrollably. The truck had passed over her! "Briarpaw, are you still there?" she asked nervously, afraid that Briarpaw had run away in fear.

Luckily, the she-cat was crouched in the grass, her amber eyes widened in horror. She padded over and nudged Skye toward the edge of the black path, "Never, ever go on a Thunderpath like that again," she hissed. That experience had definatly shaken her. Briarpaw let Skye lean against her for support as they continued slowly toward the comforting sound of rushing water and fish splashing in a shallow river. Her tail was draped lightly over Skye's shoulders.

_Forget fresh-kill... _Skye thought _I was almost road-kill! _


	2. Chapter 2

**Now a disclaimer! Because I have no idea where to put this thing.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors. The four Erins do. I own nothing but myself (Skye/Fernpaw), Briarpaw, and all the cats' names and personalities.**

Skye and Briarpaw stopped at a thin stream that was only about the length of two mouse-tails in width. They lapped up the cool, refreshing water and lay down to rest for a moment.

Briarpaw, who was sprawled out on her back looking at Skye upside-down, blinked at her, "Your not half bad, you know that?" she turned over onto her belly before continuing, "What's you're name?"

Skye thought a moment. It had to be a clan name, and Briarpaw's name ended in 'paw', so she just had to think of the first part. She wanted to use 'Sky', but she wasn't sure if they ever used that name, so she thought quickly, and came up with something after seeing a small plant behind Briarpaw, "My name is Fernpaw."

"Fernpaw? I like that name," she smiled, "Want to hunt? I'm sure you're hungry. I could catch a mouse or two to eat."

Fernpaw cringed at her words, _so these cats eat mice?_ It didn't seem very appetizing, but what choice did she have? "Sure," she mewed, flicking her tail.

"Okay, I'll be right back," Briarpaw purred, getting up and stalking toward a bush. She dissapeared into the thick, green plant, leaving Fernpaw alone.

Fernpaw sighed and began licking her brown tail. She felt a tick and waved her tail, trying to shake it off.

The little creature hung on tightly, so Fernpaw tried biting it, but she couldn't latch her teeth onto the pest.

Briarpaw padded back to Fernpaw, two plump mice dangling in her jaws. She noticed the tick and put down the mice, "Here, I'll get it," she mewed kindly, "we can just share one of these." She carefully began to extract something foul smelling from one of the grey mice.

The horrid stench that emitted from Briarpaw's paw, which was now covered in the strange liquid, told Fernpaw exactly what it was; bile.

Fernpaw watched in disgust as Briarpaw dabbed the mouse bile on the annoying tick, but sighed in relief when it dropped off, presumably dead.

"There..." Briarpaw meowed, smiling. She began washing off her paw in the stream, then, when she was done, she buried the mouse and lay down again to eat the other mouse. She took a bite, then swallowed, "Go ahead, Fernpaw."

Fernpaw wrinkled her nose, but forced herself to take a bite. Suprisingly, it tasted good! She took another bite, savoring the flavor.

The two she-cats finished eating, and then continued on. They came to a slope which lead to a large clearing with four giant trees at each corner.

"Have you been to Fourtrees yet?" Briarpaw asked as they padded down into the clearing.

"No," was all Fernpaw said. She opened her jaws, and many mingling scents flooded her senses. They were all different cat scents, but Fernpaw could tell they were split into four distinctive scents.

One smelled like pines and was strongest in the part of the clearing closest to the slope. _Shadowclan, _Fernpaw thought to herself.

Another smelled of fish, water, and moss, _Probably Riverclan..._

The other two she couldn't be sure of, seeing as she didn't know anymore clan names. One smelled of heather and open air and the other of undergrowth and lots of plants,_ Forestclan and Heatherclan maybe? _

"Are you coming, Fernpaw?" Briarpaw mewed from two fox-lengths ahead.

"Of course I am!" Fernpaw meowed, snapping out of her daze and bounding forward. She had been distracted by her thoughts and hadn't noticed her new friend padding ahead. She crouched, her tail swishing back and forth, stirring up some small leaves behind her. She leaped at Briarpaw, but before she could land, Briarpaw rolled over on her back and hit Fernpaw, who had now landed, in the belly, launching her off.

Briarpaw jumped up and tackled Fernpaw while they were both in mid-air, and knocked her to the ground, pinning the blue-grey she-cat to the ground by her shoulders.

Fernpaw struggled and Briarpaw let her up, laughing.

"How did you know I was coming?" Fernpaw asked, shaking out her fur.

"Your tail stirred up the leaves behind you. It was easy to hear," Briarpaw pointed out, smirking.

"That was an awesome move though!" Fernpaw mewed in awe.

"My mentor, Adderheart, taught it to me. It's a really easy battle move."

"I hope I get to learn that move."

"You probably will. Now, let's get you to Riverclan territory." Briarpaw flicked her tail and trotted toward the smell of fish.

Fernpaw followed her until they got to the edge of the clearing.

"I'll leave you right here, but I'll see you at a gathering, okay?" Briarpaw smiled and began padding away.

"You're not coming with me?" Fernpaw asked sadly, not wanting to leave Briarpaw.

"Of course not, I'll get in trouble if I'm found on Riverclan territory." She licked Fernpaw behind the ear, "Bye Fernpaw."

Fernpaw nodded and turned away. She picked up the strong smell of cats, so she began following it down a river. Suddenly, she heard voices, coming from the other side of some reeds. She peeked through and saw two cats, a multi-color she-cat and a black tom with a white stripe from his forehead to the tip of his tail, just like a badger.

"Medicine cats can hunt just as well as warriors and apprentices, Badgerpaw!" the she-cat seemed to argue.

"No they can't. You're to busy picking dainty little flowers to learn stuff like hunting, Lilypaw," the tom, Badgerpaw, laughed.

"Oh yeah?" Lilypaw challenged, "I bet I can catch more fish than you can."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Then, watch closely." Lilypaw positioned herself over the water, and waited for a fish to swim by.

Badgerpaw did the same.

Fernpaw sat back to watch, but a stick snapped underneath her.

The two cats looked up immediately and stared at the reeds.

Then, Badgerpaw splashed into the water and swam across the river that separated him from Fernpaw's hiding place, Lilypaw following close behind.

Fernpaw's green eyes widened in fear, _I'm dead!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimers yay! I do NOT own warriors. I only own the names, myself(Fernpaw), and my buddy(Briarpaw). **

**And sorry for not updating. I have writer's block AND I'm writing an actual story. Plus, I have a friend being my editor now so it might take awhile for each chapter to finish. Now, ENJOY!**

Badgerpaw shoved his head through the reeds and I stumbled back, afraid. He growled and lashed his tail, pouncing and pinning Fernpaw by her shoulders, "What are you doing on RiverClan territory?" he spat, black and white fur ruffled.

Fernpaw shied away, "I-I was hoping to join actually," she mewed, thinking of an excuse. She wiggled out from under him and shook out her pelt. Man, this was Briarpaw all over again.

Badgerpaw narrowed his eyes and kept his claws unsheathed, "Lilypaw! Come here!" he called over his shoulder.

The she-cat stepped out of the reeds, "Who is this?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"I'm not sure. What is your name?"

"Fernpaw," Fernpaw answered confidently.

He nodded then turned to Lilypaw, "Should we trust her?" he whispered in her ear, though Fernpaw could easily hear.

"Er... I'll get a warrior," Lilypaw mewed before padding away.

Badgerpaw circled Fernpaw, sniffing her, "Where are you from?"

"A long ways from here." She didn't know what to say.

He stared her straight in the eyes, "How far aw-"

A large ginger tom broke into the small space with Lilypaw behind him. He had big white paws and his icey blue gaze tore into her fur, "Who is this?" he glared at Fernpaw.

"Fernpaw," Badgerpaw stated, "She wants to join."

The tom sighed, "Dewstar will want to hear this," he meowed before turning and flicking his tail, "Follow me." Then, in a lower, quiet voice he told the two cats, "Walk behind her and keep a sharp eye.

Fernpaw followed him out of the reeds and through the river, shivering at the cold water. When they had made it to the bank, she didn't hesitate to scrabble out and shake out her now soggy pelt.

Badgerpaw looked at her confused, while the big tom just ignored her, pushing through a thorn tunnel.

Lilypaw padded beside her, "I don't see why they don't trust you. You seem really nice."

Fernpaw looked up at her, surprised, "Really, you trust me?"

"Of course! I'm Lilypaw by the way, my brother, the black and white one, is Badgerpaw, and the ginger warrior is Foxstep," She stopped, "You go first."

Fernpaw nodded and padded inside. The thorns brushed her skin, but they didn't hurt her. She felt soft, damp moss underpaw, which felt good on her aching and scraped pads.

Bright light shone at the other side, and Fernpaw rushed throught the tunnel, brambles tugging at her grey pelt. She stepped out into a large clearing. Her face was awestruck. It was huge!

Lilypaw squeezed out after her, "This is the camp. It's surrounded by slippery rocks and thorns, and we have a river circling around the inside of the camp walls. If any clan tries to get in, they'll step on thorns, fall off the rocks, and if they do get in, they fall in the water, which they hate. Plus, we have strong warriors to protect us!"

Fernpaw tilted her head, "Don't _you_ fight?"

She shook her head, "No; I'm a medicine cat apprentice. I heal cats, not fight and injure them. I do learn some fighting moves, just in case, but I hardly ever have to use them," she flicked her ears, "Anyway, I'll take you to Dewstar's den." She lept a small river and padded toward a large den.

Fernpaw looked around. She noticed many cats staring at her.

Two she-cats huddled together, whispering, their bellies plump with kits. One was silver with a white patch on her chest and green eyes; she looked closer to giving birth. The other was multicolor with amber eyes.

A she-cat dropped a fish on a pile at the center of the camp, while two younger toms wrestled on the ground across the clearing. Ginger and blue-grey blended as they rolled around.

The ginger one pinned the other tom, then looked up at Fernpaw. He stepped off and called, "Hi!"

The other tom got up and jabbed him with a paw, "Shut up, Robinpaw. We don't know who she is," he growled.

"That doesn't mean we can't be friendly, Troutpaw," Robinpaw answered, shaking out his dusty pelt.

Fernpaw turned away from them. There were so many cats here. How would she remember all the names?

She tripped over a loose rock and fell flat on her face outside of the large den, where a light brown tabby she-cat was standing, with her green eyes staring down at Fernpaw.

Lilypaw and Foxstep were standing on either side of her. Badgerpaw was beside Lilypaw, snickering.

Fernpaw stood slowly and shook the dust from her pelt, "Are you Dewstar?" she asked nervously, suddenly feeling small and shy.

The she-cat smiled at her and nodded, "Yes, I'm the leader of Riverclan, and you are?"

"Her name is Fernpaw," Lilypaw was the first to answer.

"We found her in the reeds on the other side of the river outside of camp," Badgerpaw finished, eyes sparkling.

Dewstar ignored him, "So you wanted to join?"

Fernpaw smiled, "Yes."

Dewstar flicked her tail, "Badgerpaw and Foxstep, you may leave. Get Moth-heart and Larkstorm, please."

Badgerpaw frowned, but bounded away, leaving Foxstep to get the two cats.

Dewstar pushed through the dangling moss and into her den, so Fernpaw followed. It was roomy, but not too big, and there was a nest in the middle, made of moss, leaves, feathers, and decorated with small shells.

Fernpaw sat down, looking around the den in awe. She wrapped her tail over her paws and looked at the walls; they were woven out of long twigs, and shells and stones had been shoved in here and there to make it look more appealing.

Two cats stepped into the den; one was a navy-blue tom and the other was a dark grey she-cat.

"You needed us, Dewstar?" the navy-blue one asked, his cloudy grey eyes flashing. He flashed a glance at Fernpaw, and then looked away, as if not noticing her. Then he turned his head back to her, eyes wide, "Wait... Who is this?" He flicked his tail in her direction.

Dewstar met his gaze, "That's what I want to talk about, Larkstorm Lilypaw and Badgerpaw found her in our territory, and I want to now if I should let her join."

Lilypaw looked hopeful, while the two turned to eachother and whispered together.

They stopped a few moments later and Larkstorm took a step back. The she-cat looked confident, "We think she should join."

Dewstar nodded, "Then it's agreed. Fernpaw, follow me outside." She twitched her ears and padded out side, "Let all cats old enough to swim gather to hear my words."

Fernpaw bounded after her, and once she was outside, she watched many cats flooding from large dens. The two queens and apprentices were out, along with many more cats.

Robinpaw looked at her and smiled, but Troutpaw shoved him and growled, "Quit staring at her."

Dewstar sat down and brushed the ground to her left with her tail, signaling to Fernpaw to sit.

Fernpaw followed her directions and sat beside her, looking at all of the cats in front of her.

Some looked at her questioningly, others glared and scowled, and few cats, like Robinpaw, smiled thoughtfully.

"We have gathered to welcome a new apprentice to the clan. I know we haven't done this before, but I've consulted with Larkstorm and Featherstep and they chose to let her join," Dewstar's voice didn't falter as she spoke, though Fernpaw could see some of the cats didn't look very happy to hear this, "Fernpaw, please face me."

Fernpaw turned and looked up at the leaader, her eyes shining like crystals.

"From this day forward, until you prove your worth and become a warrior, you will train in RiverClan. I welcome you to RiverClan as an apprentice, and hope Starclan approves." Dewstar's gaze swept over the crowd of cats, and her eyes locked on a brown tabby tom with a white muzzle and tail tip, "Ottertail, you will be mentor to Fernpaw. You were trained by Moth-heart and I hope you will pass down your knowledge and skills to your new apprentice, just like you have done with Poppytail."

Ottertail pushed to the front and leaned down to touch noses with Fernpaw, his gaze friendly.

"Fernpaw! Fernpaw! Fernpaw!" they all cheered. Robinpaw was straining to be loudest, while Troutpaw hardly cheered at all...


	4. Chapter 4

Dewstar smiled, satisfied, "This clan meeting is over. Moth-heart, please assign hunting patrols."

The cats began to split up, most up them muttering about Fernpaw.

Her heart sank a little, but Ottertail's mew made her prick her ears, "How about we start with hunting? I'll show you how at the Training Island." He turned away for a breif moment, "Blossomfeather, let's train Fernpaw and Troutpaw together!"

A white she-cat looked up from Troutpaw, her downy fur blowing in the breeze. She shivered and padded toward him, Troutpaw growling behind her. He clearly didn't want to train with Fernpaw.

Ottertail headed toward the camp entrance, ears flattened against the sudden wind, with Blossomfeather right behind him, smiling.

"Just stay out of my way," Troutpaw spat quietly and bounded after his mentor, leaving Fernpaw alone.

She ran after them and lept the stream as they raced out of camp. She struggled to keep up, still not used to running like this, and soon they dissapeared from sight. She followed their scent, thankful for the wind and lept a river, onto a small island, where they sat, waiting for her. Troutpaw's tail was lashing back and forth, while Blossomfeather had her ears pricked, as if listening for her.

"Okay, I want both of you to sit by the water and show me a fishing position." Ottertail seemed fine with a rouge joining the clan and becoming his apprentice.

Fernpaw nodded and turned to look at the water, while Troutpaw seemed to position himself a bit farther away. She bent over the water and lifted a paw, as if aiming for a fish.

"Perfect, Troutpaw! I see you've been practicing." Blossomfeather's mew sounded behind Fernpaw, and Troutpaw flashed a look at her before returning his gaze to the water.

Fernpaw shivered; he seemed to be observing her. _What does he want?_ She thought.

Ottertail sighed and padded over to the spot beside her, "Not like that. Get on the other side so your shadow doesn't fall on the water." As she jumped across and sat down again, he continued, "Lean over the water but not too far. Then, when you hunt, if a fish comes by you scoop it out and kill it on land. Remember, patience is the key."

Fernpaw did exactly as he said, remaining perfectly still as she stared at the water, wondering if she could find a fish _now_.

"Good job! Now stay there and wait. If you see a fish, use what I just told you." With that he bounded over to the other side of the island and bent over the water, his tail curled around his paws.

She didn't move a muscle, and after a while, her forelegs were beginning to ache. The silence was boring, and she just wanted to run down river to search instead of wait, but she followed Ottertail's instructions. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the water ripple. _Finally!_ She thought to herself, but she still didn't move, waiting for the fish to swim closer. She took a good look at it, recognizing it as a salmon. The fish was unaware of the danger as it swam in front of her, sucking up tinier fish for a meal. Fernpaw lifted a forepaw ever so slowly, and then slapped it down into the water, scooping the fish up and throwing it down on the ground. She killed it with a bite just as Ottertail turned his head.

"Well done, Fernpaw!" he purred and rushed over, looking the salmon over in delight, "The queens will love this!"

She snapped her gaze to him, "The queens? You mean we can't eat it?"

"The warrior code says that elders, queens, and kits must be fed first. After you have hunted for them, then you may eat," he explained, his tone dead-serious.

A loud splash sounded in Troutpaw's direction and when Fernpaw turned, he was dragging a small bass, though still slightly bigger than he salmon, onto the grass. It flopped around when he released his grip, trying to reach the water, but Troutpaw killed it quickly. He looked at Fernpaw's catch and rolled his eyes, then began half-carrying, half- dragging the bass toward Blossomfeather, a deviously proud look on his face.

[Cut-off chapter much? Yeah I haven't updated in…let's see…forever? But my New Year's Resolution is to update _at least _once a month. So yeah, those of you still reading this, I have a few chapters prepared, so be happy. )


	5. Chapter 5

Fernpaw opened her eyes, and found herself curled up in her nest, but instead of seeing the familiar apprentices' den walls, she was in a field. All she saw was a strange, dark forest on the edge of the field and… other cats. The scent of each clan was combined, forming an odd but welcoming smell like the one at Fourtrees.

She had been in Riverclan for about a "half-moon", as her clanmates called it. She had learned so much from her mentor and had become friends with three apprentices already; Lilypaw, Badgerpaw and Robinpaw. Fernpaw stood quickly, suddenly aware of the scratches and scars that, although barely visible in several cats' starry fur, were easy for Fernpaw to make out. She became tense and nearly jumped out of her pelt when a soft voice spoke behind her.

"You look lost," said the voice and Fernpaw whirled around, meeting eyes with a tom that looked about the age of a warrior, but wisdom was shown in his bright, amber eyes. His pelt was golden, sleek and well groomed like that of a Riverclan cat.

"Who are you?" Fernpaw asked, crouching, ready for a fight. She silently went over the battle moves Ottertail had taught her, hoping she could take this cat.

He shook his head, smiling, and held up a white paw, "No need for that," he purred, "I won't hurt you. I'm Swiftfire, a former medicine cat of Riverclan."

Fernpaw's eyes widened, "Former? So that means…"

Pain flashed briefly in his eyes and he nodded quickly, "Yes… This is Starclan, where all warrior ancestors live. I'm here to show you where to go."

Fernpaw nodded and he turned, flicking his tail as if to say, "Follow." She did exactly that and started trotting beside him. She looked around at all the cats again. There were small kits playing tag, elders talking silently together and warrior practicing moves, showing off their strength and speed, and then laughing together at something another cat said. Apprentices shared tongues and Fernpaw nearly tripped over a kit as he chased a moss ball that rolled past her paws. He ignored her, clearly determined to get to the ball before his friends who followed close behind, running between Fernpaw's legs to chase him.

Swiftfire laughed lightly, watching the kits out of the corner of his eye, "They're always running around and don't seem to get tired here." He put a paw down on one kit's tail and she squeaked, rolling over on her back into a fetal position.

"Swiftfire!" she squealed, giggling, "Quit it!"

He smirked and moved his paw, allowing her to stand, "Be careful, Patchkit. What if some cat stepped on you?"

She wrinkled her small, pink nose, as if thinking really hard, then she looked up at him, "It would hurt?"

He laughed again, "Just watch out, okay?"

"Okay!" she purred, rubbing against his leg before scampering after her friends.

Fernpaw watched her tackle the tom that had gotten the moss ball, batting his ears and grabbing the spongy-mess that the ball had turned into. Poor kits… They were so young.

Swiftfire interrupted her thoughts, running his tail over her nose, "Coming?" Fernpaw blinked at him over his soft, ginger tail, then smiled and shook it off.

The grass became moss beneath their paws as then padded on and soon shells were poking her pads and they waded through a river where she saw another she-cat, her pelt a mirror of Fernpaw's. Swiftfire pulled himself up onto land and stretched his neck, grabbing her scruff in his jaws and helping her up. She pulled away as soon as she was up, but still smiled back at him. Then she turned to the she-cat, "Hello."

"Hello, Fernpaw," she mewed, then turned to Swiftfire, "Thank you for bringing her."

He dipped him head and turned away, tossing two words over his shoulder as he padded away, "Bye Fernpaw."

She dipped her head to the she-cat as she turned back to her, "Who-"

"I'm Marshstar," she interrupted, "The Riverclan leader before Dewstar."

"Whoa…" Fernpaw mewed. A leader… Why did she want to talk to Fernpaw?

"You've promised to serve Riverclan now, am I correct?" Marshstar mused, looking down at Fernpaw intently.

She flattened her ears against her head, suddenly shy, "Umm… Yes."

"So you're sure, after just becoming a cat, you can commit to this?"

Fernpaw's jaw dropped. How did Marshstar know she used to be a two-leg? Then she closed her mouth and nodded, hardening her gaze and straitening up, "Yes, I'm sure."

Marshstar looked at her for a moment, as if expecting Fernpaw to take it back, but she had thought wrong, "Okay, Fernpaw. Then I, Marshstar, former leader of Riverclan, welcome you to the clans." She touched her nose to Fernpaw's and a warm sensation ran through Fernpaw and she was suddenly tense again, adrenaline running through her body, "Time to wake up." She felt weaker, as if Marshstar had taken her energy away. She closed her eyes and collapsed on the ground, unable to move, slipping into the welcoming darkness of sleep.

[Yeah. It's kinda short, but I hope it's still good. Don't be afraid to review on your way out.]


	6. Chapter 6

Fernpaw felt a soft paw nudge her back, but she didn't want to wake up. She was too tired… She was curled up on her left side in her nest. Badgerpaw had been kind enough to make a nest for her in the Apprentices' Den, for which she thanked him afterward.

"Fernpaw," the paw shook her, "Wake up." The feminine voice was hushed, but she easily recognized it as Lilypaw.

Fernpaw groaned and opened one eye and found herself looking up at the pretty multi-color she-cat, "Yeah?" she mumbled, still half-asleep.

Lilypaw shook her head amused, and nipped at Fernpaw's scruff, gently tugging upward, "Gathering. You're coming." She managed through Fernpaw's fur.

Fernpaw stood up with the help of Lilypaw. "What's a Gathering?" Briarpaw had mentioned it just before she left, but didn't say anything about what it was. Then again, she thought Fernpaw already knew what it was.

Lilypaw sighed, "Once every moon, the four clans gather at Fourtrees."

Fernpaw recognized that name as the place with the giant trees in each corner and the huge rock.

"The leaders share news about problems on the territory, new warriors, and other stuff like that. Since you're a new Riverclan apprentice, Dewstar picked you as one of the cats to go so you could be there when she announced you.

Fernpaw nodded, understanding it now. Well kind of…

Lilypaw tilted her head toward the den entrance, "Time to go."

Fernpaw pricked her ears, "Right now? It's so late though."

Lilypaw laughed a bit, "Yes, right now. Dewstar is about to lead everyone out." She pushed past the curtain of dangling moss that partially blocked out light. She broke through the soft barrier and moonlight immediately washed over all of her features, especially her soft, sleek pelt. Her small orange paws, her thin brown and white legs, and her kind face; everything about Lilypaw told you she was nice, even if you didn't know her, yet. Fernpaw smiled, she was lucky Lilypaw had so quickly become her friend.

"Who else is going?" Fernpaw asked, pushing out behind Lilypaw.

"Well…" Lilypaw glanced over at the group of cats near the camp entrance, huddled close to fight off the biting, icy air, "Dewstar, Moth-heart, Larkstorm and I. We always come because Dewstar is the leader, Moth-heart is deputy, and Larkstorm and I are the medicine cats. Well, at least I'm Larkstorm's apprentice." She paused, standing up on her hind paws for a moment, "Let's see… Foxstep, Troutpaw, Robinpaw, and Flickerstripe; I can see them for sure. I think Fishtail might be in there, but I'm not sure."

Fernpaw opened her mouth to reply, but Dewstar cut her off, "Is everyone here?"

Moth-heart stood up like Lilypaw had, her eyes skimming over the group. Her eyes quickly flicked to Fernpaw and Lilypaw, but she turned away quickly, her gaze resting on Dewstar, "Yes."

Dewstar glanced at the sky, the night dark as always, "Then we should get moving." She rose to her paws and signaled toward the entrance with her tail. The clan cats all began to follow her and Fernpaw and Lilypaw quickly joined them, pushing through the entrance, crossing the river, and heading downstream.

They followed the river to a small clearing and by the time they were there, the smell of cats was overwhelming.

Fernpaw tried to make out Briarpaw's scent, but there were so many scents with the smell of pine mixed in that she couldn't make it out.

Dewstar pushed through the undergrowth, through a thin path and out into the wide clearing that Fernpaw remembered as Fourtrees. It looked so much different now that it was full of cats. They mingled, cleaned each other's pelts, and some apprentices where play-fighting. So many colors blended in the area, and she had to force herself down the slick slope that led down into the mass of cats, following Dewstar, still really tired. The leader immediately broke away from her clan and made her way to the large rock in the middle. She pulled herself to the top, where three other cats were sitting. Fernpaw assumed they were the other leaders. One had dark ginger fur. Another had a creamy pelt and the last was dark-grey, almost black.

Fernpaw wasn't sure where to go, so she headed toward the apprentices. She turned to ask Lilypaw if she knew their names, but Lilypaw was already racing over to Larkstorm who was sharing tongues with four other cats, three about his size and one Lilypaw's size. She sighed and continued toward the small group of young cats. A dark-brown tabby she-cat and a lighter colored tom wrestled on the ground, laughing as they stirred up the dirt below them. A copper-colored tom, another dark-brown tom, and a light blue she-cat all sat, watching the two apprentices. The she-cat kicked the tom off of her, still laughing. He scrambled to his paws as she managed, through tired breaths, "That was fun!"

The light-blue she-cat smiled, "You guys are good fighters."

The tom shook dust and grit out of his pelt and grinned, "Then just wait till' you see us in battle!"

From what Fernpaw was hearing she guessed the two were clanmates, and she had barely registered the familiar tabby she-cat before the cat had turned and was padding toward Fernpaw, "You're here!" she mewed, brushing her muzzle against Fernpaw's in greeting. Fernpaw recognized her as Briarpaw and smiled, happy to see someone she knew.

The light tom glared at Fernpaw while the copper tom shrugged, looking indifferent. The blue she-cat's eyes sparkled, warm and friendly, full of energy.

Briarpaw nudged Fernpaw toward the others, "You need to meet them." Her gaze was kind but she was still tense from the play-fight with the light brown tom, and Fernpaw could feel the spiked fur that still stood up. She flicked her tail, in order, to the tabby tom, light brown tom, blue she-cat, and copper tom, "That's my brother, Bramblepaw, from Shadowclan, Snakepaw, also from Shadowclan, Icepaw from Thunderclan, and Copperpaw, again, from Shadowclan."

Fernpaw smiled sheepishly at the group. Bramblepaw and Snakepaw both looked untrusting, while Icepaw smiled. Copperpaw was a bit of a mix, unsure but kind.

Briarpaw noticed the tension and decided to smoothen it out, "This is Fernpaw, from Riverclan." Snakepaw cut in, chuckling, "I couldn't tell." He wrinkled his nose, probably smelling the minnows she had eaten earlier that night. Fernpaw stood up straighter and flicked her tail quickly, becoming defensive, "Hey, what's your problem?"

He laughed a bit more, rolling his eyes, "Oh, quit acting tough. I know you haven't had much training. You're soft." He prodded her side with one paw.

She nearly got out a remark, but Briarpaw cut in quickly, "Um… Do you want to know who the leaders, deputies, and medicine cats are?" She improvised, gently ushering Fernpaw away from Snakepaw.

Fernpaw sighed, "Sure."

Briarpaw let out a breath and began, "The bright orange tom up there is Emberstar, the leader of Thunderclan. You already know Dewstar, of course. Then the cream-colored tom is Swiftstar, Windclan leader, and the dark-grey she-cat is Ravenstar, leader of Shadowclan. Then, the Thunderclan deputy is Cloudfur, the white she-cat. The Windclan deputy is Oakclaw, the white and brown tom, and the Shadowclan deputy is Moonfrost, the silver and white she-cat. Moonfrost is also my aunt. The medicine cats are Junipernose from Thunderclan, the black tom with the funny colored nose and his apprentice Dovepaw, the cream and black she-cat. In Windclan it's the light-blue she-cat, Frostwing and Shadowclan's is the navy tom, Shadeheart." She finished with a deep breath.

Fernpaw's eyes widened. Did she have to remember all of these cats? She was having enough trouble with the Riverclan names, but now this?

Briarpaw noticed Fernpaw's reaction, "It's okay. You'll remember everyone soon enough."

They didn't have anything else to say to each other, so they sat in silence, the other voices around them drowning out any attempt at conversation anyway.

Finally, Fernpaw saw Ravenstar rise from her spot on the rock, stepping forward. She flexed her paws as they adjusted to the paw-holds that helped her hold on to the smooth rock. She let out a loud yowl, instantly quieting all cats, except a few apprentices. Glares from their warriors shut them up quickly, though. Ravenstar gave her own warriors an approving nod before beginning, "Cats of all clans, welcome to the Gathering!" She took a few steps back, allowing Emberstar to stand in front. His fur was slightly dull, showing his age.

"Thunderclan has been thriving." Emberstar began, "Since new-leaf has begun prey has been plentiful. Sadly, the predators are as well. A half-moon ago, Nettlefur was killed by a badger near the Riverclan border. Cloudfur, Leopardfang, and Icepaw chased it off, luckily."

Icepaw was practically glowing; her green eyes a firework show.

Dewstar's fur bristled and she bared her teeth at the Thunderclan leader, "You chased a badger into Riverclan territory?" she growled. She took a step toward him, "How dare you endanger another clan!"

Emberstar backed up, "Now, now! I can assure you Riverclan is safe. Cloudfur found the badger dead near the border. No harm done, I promise you."

Dewstar calmed back down, sitting next to the Thunderclan leader. She murmured an apology, looking embarrassed.

Swiftstar took Emberstar's place, "Windclan has done well. Prey is plentiful and the only problem we've run into was a snake that bit Cedarpaw. Frostwing treated her quickly though and she's perfectly fine." His voice was sharp, as if he was trying to make a point. Fernpaw guessed he didn't want the other clans to think Windclan had become weaker. The Windclan leader finished quickly and switched out with Dewstar.

"The fish are still low in numbers as the rivers are still thawing, but with our new apprentices, we'll be able to catch more fish. First, I would like to announce Riverclan's new medicine cat apprentice, Lilypaw."

If it were possible, the young she-cat would have been blushing as the cats that filled the hollow called her name.

"Next, we have two new warrior apprentices, Badgerpaw and Fernpaw." Her voice was full of pride. They started up their chants again, this time repeating 'Fernpaw' and 'Badgerpaw' several times. "Riverclan has been doing much better than in leaf-bare, when all rivers were frozen over."

Finally, Ravenstar was up, "I am proud to announce Mosspool's delivery. The birth of Mistkit is to our advantage, giving us yet another healthy, future warrior. Adderheart killed a young fox yesterday along with Briarpaw. The fox had been stealing our prey, so it's a good thing it's gone now."

Fernpaw looked up at Briarpaw, whose eyes were glittering just like Icepaw's had. Many cats murmured congratulations to a ragged, dark brown tom, who Fernpaw guessed was Adderheart. He had the same smug and proud look as Troutpaw, except less devious looking.

Ravenstar yowled again like she had at the beginning, quieting them all again, "Overall Shadowclan has done fine." She turned around and, along with the other leaders, began to descend from the point of the rock. Soon, all cats were dispersing, bidding farewell to the other clans and following their leaders. Fernpaw stood beside Briarpaw as long as possible, but Briarpaw finally managed to shake the slightly younger apprentice off, "I need to go now. Bye Fernpaw." She brushed her muzzle against Fernpaw's again, this time saying goodbye, "I'll see you later." She flashed a kind smile before turning around sharply and sprinting after Bramblepaw, who was chatting with Snakepaw.

Robinpaw raced over to Fernpaw, "Wasn't that cool? My first gathering and I already met a bunch of cats. Lionpaw, Foxpaw, and Cedarpaw were really nice. Who did you meet Fernpaw?" He sounded really excited.

She smirked. Robinpaw was one of the Riverclan cats that were nice to her from the beginning, "Bramblepaw, Icepaw, Snakepaw, Copperpaw, and Briarpaw."

Robinpaw nodded, "I heard Snakepaw and Bramblepaw aren't very nice."

Fernpaw shrugged, "Not really, no. Briarpaw accepted me so quickly, though, so they might have just been skeptical. Plus, I'm from a different clan. Of course they aren't going to be super friendly to me."

Robinpaw considered this for a moment, "I guess…" He smiled, "but I don't see why any cat wouldn't like you. You're really nice; sometimes obnoxious, but nice." He stopped himself, suddenly aware of what he probably sounded like, "I didn't mean-"

Fernpaw gently cuffed his ear, "It's okay. I know what you meant." She heard a grunt in front of them and looked away from Robinpaw to see Troutpaw, an annoyed look on his face. He flicked an ear, glancing at Robinpaw, and then he returned his gaze to Fernpaw, his amber eyes full of intensity.

Robinpaw flashed an apologetic look before rushing forward to his brother. Troutpaw stopped and murmured something in the ginger tom's ear before following Dewstar again. By now, the river that surrounded the camp was visible and Fernpaw could just make out Featherstep's small white figure as she guarded the camp. She spotted the group and tensed up, about to call out to the warriors and apprentices that were still in the camp, but recognized Dewstar first. She breathed a sigh of relief and stepped to the side, allowing all of the cats to pass through the small tunnel before assuming her position again, ears pricked for any other disturbances.

As soon as Fernpaw was through the tunnel and in the camp, apprentices, warriors, and elders were making their way outside, anxious to hear about the gathering. Badgerpaw was talking to Lilypaw, Mousetail, an elder, was talking to Foxstep, her hairless tail waving back and forth, and Blossomfeather was questioning Flickerstripe, Ottertail's mother.

Fernpaw made her way through the crowd, toward the apprentices' den where Shellpaw was still curled up in her nest, unfazed by the noise outside. Her creamy-ginger fur was rising and falling steadily; she hadn't even woken up.

Fernpaw curled up in her nest, which was right next to Shellpaw's, and closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to consume her.

A cry sounded outside before it could though.

_Great._ Fernpaw thought. _Can't I get _any _sleep tonight?_

(I'm sorry I haven't posted a chapter in a while. I made this one longer to make up for it. Also, thanks for the reviews; I didn't expect 9 already. I hope you enjoy! All kinds of reviews are welcome. (Just try not to flame.))


	7. Chapter 7

"Hey! It's time to get up mouse-brain. You're slower than a fish in a half-frozen pond!"

Fernpaw groaned, feeling too tired to lift a claw. She growled softly, opening her eyes, and found herself looking up at Troutpaw, an annoyed and frustrated look on his face.

He glared at her, and she could almost feel his gaze burning into her pelt, "You're late for battle training. We waited on the Training Island until _sun-high_ and you're _still _not up!" he snapped, a whisker-length away from her face.

She shrunk back, just as Ottertail poked his head inside the den, "Troutpaw," he sighed, biting down lightly on the apprentice's tail and pulling back, "Don't be rude about it. She's your clan mate. We don't expect her to take this long, but you don't have to say it like that…" He flashed a sharp glance at Fernpaw, and she nodded, understanding. She pushed up, still wobbly on her small brown paws, and made her way past the two cats, out into the bright sunlight that bounced off her silver-grey pelt. She shook off the moss scraps and grit that had gotten stuck her fur from twisting and rolling the night before, trying to get comfortable so she could at least get _some _sleep.

Then, she remembered what had happened last night.

The clan had gotten back to the camp after the gathering and before Fernpaw could fall sleep, Moonheart, a silver queen with a white spot on her chest, had woken up, yowling so loud that Shadowclan had probably heard her. It turned out she was kitting. Fernpaw had to help with the kit, cleaning him and helping him breathe. Moonheart had named him Beechkit. Once he was dry and confirmed healthy, Fernpaw could clearly see his brown tabby pelt. No one knew his eye color yet, but Larkstorm said they would see them soon enough. She sighed, "Clan life is such a hassle."

She felt a paw cuff her ear, not gently either, and heard a hiss in her other ear, "Quit talking to yourself like a freak and let's get a move on!" She recognized Troutpaw's voice again as he walked past her. He sounded mad, but there was something else in his voice she wasn't sure of. She shook her head and followed, "Who stepped on your tail this morning?"

He let out a low growl but didn't respond with anything more. She was legitimately surprised he didn't turn and spring at her then and there. Ottertail followed close behind as they made their way to the Training Island, keeping a sharp eye on the quarreling apprentices.

Fernpaw pushed her head down into the water to help stay awake. She pulled back up, breaking the surface, and shook the water out of her eyes. She felt slightly energized now, but she was still weary. The gathering had really worn her out, staying awake so late, but it was nice to see Briarpaw again. When she looked up Blossomfeather was waiting for the three in the center, tail over her paws. Ottertail sat down beside the she-cat, and Troutpaw took a spot on her other side.

Fernpaw stretched and sat beside her mentor, who began, "Okay, you two will be practicing battle moves. Fernpaw, I know you don't know many battle moves or strategies..."

"And you're one of the more advanced apprentices, Troutpaw..." Blossomfeather added before Ottertail finished. Troutpaw grinned at the compliment.

"...but we want to see what you can do. Try and find his weak or soft points, and practice the moves you know. We'll go over a move really quick before you to fight, just to make sure you can remember."

Blossomfeather draped her tail over Troutpaw's back, leading him toward the edge of the island, opposite of where Ottertail was heading. When the two finally stopped, Troutpaw quickly lashed out, claws sheathed, to meet with Blossomfeather's paw, which was already in the air, aimed toward his face. She had gone through with a surprise attack, right as they started. Fernpaw watched the two, mouth agape in awe. Troutpaw flashed a glance at Fernpaw before tackling his mentor. The moves became a blur, their timing and reactions so quick and fluid it was hard to tell what they were doing.

Ottertail gently nipped at her tail, gathering her attention, "Now, when is a back-kick useful?"

Fernpaw answered easily, remembering their training session about a week ago, "If you can sense an opponent coming at you from behind. You can knock them off their paws and leave scratches on their face or, if they're leaping, on their belly."

Ottertail nodded, approving of her answer, "Now, I'll come up behind you. When you think I'm close enough, use the move, got it? We'll continue a small battle from there."

"Got it," Fernpaw moved into place, crouching low in a defensive position and freezing in place to wait. She couldn't hear his paw-steps yet, and couldn't see him out of the corner of her eye, either. She waited patiently for the sound, and finally, after about a minute or so, she felt the quiet padding heading toward her. She remained calm, to make him think she wasn't ready, and quickly glanced at Troutpaw and Blossomfeather. They met eyes for a moment before Fernpaw remembered what she was doing. She remembered a bit late though and ended up brushing her hind paws against Ottertail's side in a weak back-kick, which threw her off balance. It left her wobbling a bit on her forepaws, giving Ottertail an advantage.

He landed on top of Fernpaw, careful not to crush her, but enough to stun her and knock her over. He flipped her onto her back, which allowed for a few belly-rakes, claws sheathed of course.

Fernpaw kicked him as hard as she could, knowing it didn't affect Ottertail much, and managed to unbalance and push him off before gaining control and ending up on top of him. She pinned him by his shoulders and gently held a hind-paw on his tail, doing her best to prevent his escape.

Ottertail smiled and wiggled free, shaking out his pelt before running his tail down her back, "Nice; you managed to pin me down, and using some decent moves, too. Good idea putting your paw on my tail. That would help when fighting a cat the same size as you. If they tried to get up, it would pull their tail."

Fernpaw beamed at him, eyes sparkling, as Blossomfeather led Troutpaw back over. Neither of the two looked even winded, nor did Ottertail, while Fernpaw's silver fur was sticking up and dusty, showing she had to put in a lot of effort to match up to Ottertail. Her brown paws had dirt clinging to the small cracks in her pads caused from hard training.

Lately, she had been worked hard to catch up to the other apprentices. Even Shellpaw was far ahead, having been apprenticed only a half-moon before Fernpaw. Badgerpaw was with Troutpaw, considered more advanced even though he was apprenticed two moons after Troutpaw, a true feat in Lilypaw's eyes. Robinpaw was around Fernpaw's league, not as good as his brother but not a kit out of the nursery either. She was glad to have at least one cat equally matched with her, although she was still a bit weaker.

Troutpaw grinned, noticing how scruffy and worn Fernpaw looked, while Blossomfeather followed Ottertail about a fox-length away from the two.

Ottertail quickly told them what they couldn't do, "Don't unsheathe your claws, do not cause the other to bleed, and do not leave the island. Begin!"

Fernpaw looked up to see Troutpaw leaping at her, slicing through the air like a hawk. He easily landed a blow on the side of her face, connecting with her jaw. She reacted quickly, backing him and letting out a back-kick. She felt her paws hit his belly, knocking out his breath, but it quickly returned. He regained his posture and jumped on her back, gripping her fur with his paws. She felt a claw pierce her shoulder, then two more on the other side, and realized he was unsheathing his claws partially. She whipped her head back, unsuccessfully trying to see the small black needles that were protruding from his blue paws, and digging into her back.

_He's hiding them!_

He leaned down as if to nip at her ear, but instead whispered something, "If you tell them, I'll hurt you more when they're gone."

Fernpaw flinched and successfully bucked him off, turning and dashing off to his left biting into his thick pelt. She didn't try to draw blood, and ended up with a mouthful of fur. She pulled away, spitting out the tuft of slick fur that came with her.

Troutpaw quickly relayed by rushing by her, holding out a paw. What should have been a smooth brush against her side turned into a hard stabbing feel that left a scratch, although barely visible in her pelt. She closed her eyes tight as he tackled her again, slamming into her and knocking her to the ground. He flipped her over, but, afraid of getting hurt again, Fernpaw slid out from under him, copying his move from the beginning of the fight and landing a blow on his cheek.

By now, both apprentices were panting and shaking, although Fernpaw was in pain as well.

Blossomfeather decided to stop them where they were. She rushed forward and stopped between them, "You two have done well. You can stop now."

Ottertail nodded, "Good job, both of you. You worked hard today. Let's go back to camp and get you something to eat. I'm sure you're very hungry."

Fernpaw let out a breath, nodding as she gasped for air, completely worn out now.

Troutpaw was already heading through the reeds, tail brushing the ground as he headed toward camp. Blossomfeather followed, flanked by Fernpaw and Ottertail.

Fernpaw took another bite out of the water vole as she chatted with Lilypaw. Badgerpaw was across the camp, sharing tongues with Shellpaw.

"How did training go?" Lilypaw mused, eyes focused directly on Fernpaw.

"Fine," Fernpaw answered simply around the mouth-full of vole, refusing to meet Lilypaw's eyes, afraid she would find out what Troutpaw did just by her look. He would just hurt her more. She took another bite, finishing off the piece of prey. She stood, wincing as the scratch on her side brushed the shells on the ground. It split, releasing a few drops of blood, but it was too dark for anyone to see anyway. She turned away from her friend and pushed into the apprentice's den, ignoring Lilypaw's sad look.

The medicine cat apprentice called to Larkstorm, quickly murmuring something to her mentor before poking her head in, tugging Fernpaw back outside by her tail. Larkstorm was saying something to Spottedpool, a multi-color queen, who rushed off as soon as he was finished talking.

Fernpaw winced as she backed up, shaking her tail loose, "Yeah?"

Lilypaw had a worried look on her face, "We think you should sleep in the medicine cat den tonight, Fernpaw."

Fernpaw tilted her head, "Why?" She thought for a moment, then became defensive, "What are you suggesting?"

Lilypaw sighed, "Well, you seem depressed, and, well…"

_She doesn't want me to do anything stupid. _Fernpaw nodded, "I get it." Slightly bothered, she begrudgingly allowed the two to lead her to their den where Spottedpool was hastily preparing a nest, trying to finish before they got there.

She flattened her ears, embarrassed by the make-shift bed in front of her, "Is this big enough for you Fernpaw? I tried to get it close to Lilypaw's, and it ended up a bit smaller than I had hoped. Maybe if I had a little bit more time…"

Larkstorm stopped her, "I'm sure it's fine." He turned to Fernpaw, "Is it?"

Fernpaw smiled, although it wasn't her happiest smile, "Of course, Spottedpool. It's just fine."

The queen headed toward the mouth of the den, "Good night."

Fernpaw pulled a few stray sticks from the moss nest and curled up, anxious to get to sleep. Honestly, she was just sad and confused. Why did Troutpaw hurt her? Why threaten her? Why _her_?

Lilypaw exchanged looks with her mentor before retrieving a few poppy seeds from their herb store, holding them carefully in her mouth. She dropped them in front of Fernpaw, "To help you sleep." She curled up close beside her friend, trying to comfort her even though she was unsure of the cause.

Fernpaw calmly licked up the seeds before murmuring a 'good night'. She barely got it out before the poppy seeds took effect. She suddenly became very drowsy, but kept herself awake a bit longer. She felt bad for worrying Lilypaw, but the she-cat was already asleep. Fernpaw touched her nose to the other she-cat's ear before quietly murmuring, "I'm sorry."

(Hey! So, I've joined a forum called Warriors Challenge Forum, so expect me to post things for the challenges in the future! That is, if you care, y'know… Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! '^_^)


	8. Chapter 8

Nck Nck Nck Nck… Crack!

The shell broke on impact with the mouse's teeth. The black and white, furry and plump prey was sitting in the snow, nibbling on a pecan, which was just small enough for the mouse to hold. It had definitely found a winner. The nut was the perfect, light shade of brown and it was easily penetrated by the mouse's teeth with a small crunch. The prey was completely unaware of its predator.

Brown paws gently floated to the ground, winding around any and all twigs and leaves. Silver-grey fur brushed against foliage, making small shrub branches sway. The paws froze where they were, as if consumed in ice, and the only movement was the cat's periodic pulse.

The mouse's ears flicked up as it listened for danger. After confirming it was safe, it went back to its snack.

The cat let out a silent breath and extended its claws, digging into the dirt. She crouched, tail completely still, eyes locked on her target. She bunched her muscles readying herself to pounce. Then she launched herself at the prey.

"Fernpaw!" came a tom's yowl.

Fernpaw got distracted and ended up with her face buried in the ground, a tail-length away from the pecan. The mouse was already gone, having dropped its food in its haste to get away, "Mouse-dung!" she swore under her breath. Now that it was leaf-bare, Riverclan needed all the prey they could get. They had even been cut off from fish, so they had to settle for land prey. She growled as she whipped around, heading toward the voice of Ottertail, her mentor.

Ottertail grinned at Fernpaws face, which was twisted to show her annoyance.

Fernpaw rolled her eyes, "What? I was about to get a mouse."

Ottertail smiled, looking proud, "It's time for a ceremony."

Fernpaw sighed. This had better be good. She could've fed Spottedpools kits with that prey. She padded over to the roots of a beech tree and pulled out the herbs she had wedged under a branch. Several Juniper Berries, some poppies, and as much catmint as she could find, which wasn't very much. She gathered it in her mouth and turned to Ottertail, signaling for him to lead.

Ottertail turned, brushing her nose with his tail. He quickly headed toward the camp, Fernpaw easily flanking him. She tasted the air as they ran, and could smell rain and snow. It was leaf-bare after all, so it was no surprise.

She had grown much stronger and faster since her apprenticeship; now she was almost as big as her mentor. Between then and now, so much had happened. Robinpaw, Troutpaw, Badgerpaw, and Shellpaw had all become warriors, Beechkit became an apprentice, his mentor being Poppytail, Ottertails sister, and he had turned out to be a drypaw, refusing to swim on his first day of training. Spottedpool had borne two kits: A black she-cat with white streaks and green eyes and a silver she-cat with dark-grey tiger stripes and amber eyes. The kits, named Mintkit and Silverkit respectively, had been born about two moons after Fernpaw's first gathering. Briarpaw had been announced a warrior at the gathering three days ago, her name now Briarheart, along with her brother, Brambleheart. It was all a blur of events, with so many things happening during her time in Riverclan.

She had an assessment yesterday, along with Beechpaw. Her assessment was to see if she was ready to be given her warrior name, while Beechpaw's was to test if he already had any skill. Fernpaw had caught two mice, but had missed the fish she found. She did get a water vole, though.

Now, the sun was setting, casting long, vague shadows on the ground, through the grass and around the two cats. She had started hunting when the sun was just peaking over the trees, but she hadn't had much luck.

The two finally skidded to a halt on the edge of the river. The leaped across in unison, and Ottertail moved out of the way, allowing Fernpaw to enter first. She accepted the offer and pushed through, then stepping out, into the camp. She flicked her ear, shaking off a soft, green leaf; one of few of its kind left until new-leaf.

Lilypelt saw Fernpaw as she pushed out of the nursery. She hurried over to Fernpaw, smiling all the way. Larkstorm had given her a full medicine cat name after Spottedpool had her kits. Lilypelt had been so excited about it, it took her three days to calm down and focus on her work again. Luckily, no cats had gotten sick during those three days. Lilypelt carefully took the herbs, taking good care not to damage them in any way. They might be their last herbs in the season. The medicine cat hurried over to her den to store them.

Dewstar was talking to Moth-heart, waving her tail impatiently, and when she saw Fernpaw finally enter the camp, she climbed onto the small rock that was blanketed with snow and moss. "Let all cats old enough to swim gather to hear my words!" she yowled, although many cats were already gathered. She flashed a glance at Fernpaw, tilting her head back slightly.

Fernpaw acknowledged it quickly and trotted toward the front of the crowd. She sat down, listening closely to Dewstar, unsure of what was happening.

"We have gathered to name a new warrior. I, Dewstar, leader of Riverclan, call upon out warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice." She glanced at Fernpaw before resting her gaze on the clan again.

Fernpaw nearly choked. She wasn't actually ready, was she?

"She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn for showing courage and independence," she looked down at the apprentice, "Fernpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend Riverclan, even if it costs your life?"

Fernpaw nodded, her voice shaking slightly, "I do."

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Fernpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Fernmist. Starclan honors your hard work, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Riverclan." The leader leaped off of the rock and rested her muzzle on the new warrior's head.

Fernpaw licked Dewstar's shoulder respectively as the clan chanted her new name.

"Fernmist! Fernmist!" She heard their cheers as she pulled away from her leader.

Dewstar continued when the clan had quieted, "Fernmist will stand silent vigil tonight and watch over Riverclan while we sleep." She flicked her tail, "You may return to your regular duties," she finished before rushing off to talk to Moth-heart.

Ottertail was the first to come congratulate her. He touched his cold nose to Fernmist's, with a proud look spread across his face, "Congratulations! Now you get to fetch even more moss for the elders!"

Fernmist grinned, gently batting at his ear, "Darn, that was the whole reason I wanted to be a warrior; to get away from that. Might as well go back to being a kit, eh?"

Ottertail chuckled, "If only… I'll leave you to talk with the others. I have squirrels to catch." He wrinkled his nose when he said 'squirrels'. He obviously wasn't a fan, but they had no choice, really. The tom turned to head toward the tunnel. He followed Foxstep, Badgerstripe, and Troutleap through the tunnel. Badgerstripe and Troutleap were Badgerpaw and Troutpaw's warrior names.

Lilypelt quickly took his place; "You're a warrior!" was all she got out before rubbing against her friend, affectionately.

Fernmist could feel Lilypelt frozen pelt against her own, but both she-cats had thick fur, so they weren't really affected by the weather.

Lilypelt pulled away, and began a discussion on being a warrior and being a medicine cat. She seemed very enthusiastic about it, waving her tail back and forth quickly.

Fernmist managed to pull away from the she-cat, "I should go talk to Robinsong."

Lilypelt nodded, "Okay. I need to count herbs anyways." She sounded kind of sad, probably because Fernmist was trying to leave her, but she just smiled and headed toward her and Larkstorm's den.

Robinsong was waiting for his turn to talk to her by the nursery. He was bathing his ginger fur in the sunlight that streamed into the camp and pooled out on the ground, allowing his sleek, oily pelt to shine.

Fernmist trotted over to him, wearing a quirky, crooked grin on her face. She brushed past him, purposely running her tail right by his blue eyes, "Guess who's a warrior?"

"Um…" he pretended to think, sitting back, "I know this one. Is it… Mintkit? Or is it Silverkit?"

Fernmist rolled her eyes, "No, me mouse-brain." She licked his cheek, smiling, and lay down beside him.

Robinsong copied her and began sharing tongues, "Darn. I was betting on the kits. I guess Troutleap gets that fish," he sighed, smirking at me.

They had become much closer, since the first days of their training. When they were both apprentices, they had managed to switch nests so Fernmist was right next to Robinsong. Now, Robinsong had made a nest right beside him for Fernmist, and had been waiting patiently for her to become a warrior so she could use it. He hadn't let her see it yet, though.

"It's a surprise," he had said.

"Ready?" he purred, standing.

Fernmist rolled over on her back, a mock-pout on her face, "For what?"

Robinsong flicked his tail, "Come here." He headed toward the warriors den, and at the entrance, he turned and stared back at her, "Coming?"

Fernmist nodded and bounded after him. She felt new energy pulse through her. She was finally a _warrior_.

They pushed through the entrance together, allowing twigs and shells to gentle tug on their pelt, as their sides brushed. The air inside was fresh and the smell was new, as she hadn't been inside the warriors' den yet.

Robinsong padded over to a nest of twigs, a few shells were shoved in here and there, making it more appealing. He lay down in it, twitching his ears, signaling for her to come over. He ran his tail through the nest to his right, smiling.

Fernmist took the invitation and quickly reached the nest. It was very nice, with twisted sticks forming the edges. Inside the ring of wood, soft moss was spread over the ground, serving as soft bedding. Several shells were carefully weaved into the nest, along with a few tiny pearls to top it off. Fernmist tilted her head, looking up at him with confusion glittering in her green eyes, "Where did you get the pearls?"

"They were in the rivers that run through around territory. I found them buried in the sand when I fell in trying to catch a fish," he flattened his ears back, embarrassed.

Fernmist brushed her muzzle against his, "Thank you." She looked down at the nest, and found a fresh, silver bass curved in the nest, a thin sheet of water glazing its scales. _Robinsong must have caught it earlier._ She looked up at him yet again, worried, "Spottedpool and the kits need this..."

"I already gave them a trout earlier," he explained, "We can have this one."

Fernmist smiled and picked up the fish. She turned around and backed into her nest, and then laid down in it, placing the fish in front of them. She allowed him to take the first two bites, and then stretched her neck toward it to have a taste. It was a bit dry on the inside, but that was to be expected. It had recently become harder to find good prey. Especially fish, since the rivers had frozen over. Occasionally there would be an open patch in the ice, but fish would avoid it, so they had started to rely on land-prey.

The two fish Robinsong had caught were the first in a moon, and every cat had nearly forgotten the taste, so it was a good thing he knew what he was going to do with it. Otherwise, half of the clan would be on top of it, fighting over who got to eat it, or even just get a bite, so Fernmist was lucky.

They finished off the trout and when Fernmist began to doze off; she felt Robinsong's tail curl gently but firmly around hers. He pressed his muzzle to her cheek, and as she slipped into sleep, she felt him warm breath blow against her muzzle, caressing the outline of her face in heat.

Now, not only were they both warriors now, but they were mates, hopefully forever.

[Huh… This chapter doesn't seem very long to me, but the page and word count say otherwise. Anyways, I'll hopefully be posting more often now, since its summer. I say _hopefully._ Anyways, I hope you enjoyed, and reviews are appreciated if you can and thank you for reading!]


	9. Chapter 9

Fernmist brushed past the reeds and into the soft water, letting it seep into her sleek, smooth pelt, through to the tender skin. Being a warrior felt great, and all she could think about was how she could help the clan now, but it was also going to be hard, with all of the new jobs she would have to do. She was still excited, though, having become a warrior only yesterday, especially now that she and Robinsong were officially mates. She stepped back out of the water and looked down, trying to find a fish in the water.

Suddenly, Fernmist collapsed under a heavy weight, pressed to the ground, in the most uncomfortable position: one paw was in front of her head, splayed out from instinct, her other three legs were tucked stiffly under her chest and belly, the half of the side of her face was pressed into the ground, the other half hanging over the edge, with small waves splashing against the bank and into her eyes, and something was pinning her tail to the ground, digging into it like thorns, drawing blood and nearly dragging out a wail from Fernmist, but she held strong. She wasn't going to let her attacker know she was scared, especially if they were from another clan, but every bone in her body told her to make the pressure stop. She slowly and painfully turned her head, trying to see her attacker. A glimpse at a tuft of blue-grey fur out of the corner of her eye immediately let her and knew who it was.

_Troutleap!_

"Let me go!" she growled, snapping at his fore-paw, which was carelessly pinning her shoulder and slowly releasing claws into her pelt and down into her flesh. She winced, lashing out her one free paw wildly, though it was nearly impossible to reach him. She managed to reach back and slash over his face though, but she didn't feel any warm blood reach the surface. Fernmist heard him let out a frustrated growl, and barely felt his fangs sink into her scruff, paralyzing her. She couldn't even let out a curse as he leaned down, tickling the fur in her ears.

"Don't worry," he advised through her fur, slowly releasing her scruff, "this will only last a moment." He let go, pulled her head forward by digging his claws into her neck fur, and slammed a paw down on her head, pushing it down into the water.

Fernmist kicked and yowled, willing someone to hear her before she ran out of breath, but it was muffled by the water and everyone was in camp asleep by now, except for Badgerstripe, who was all the way back at camp, guarding it. She began to go limp, trying to pull off a playing-dead trick. She pretended to breathe in to show she might drown soon, but ended up with water flowing into her throat. She went into a coughing fit, writhing in his grip again. Before she could react, he snapped her head up above the water again, pulling her away from the river and releasing her. She coughed up a mouth-full of water, although it seemed like more, before rolling over. She couldn't show any strength now. She was too weak and shaky from nearly drowning.

"Had a good drink?" Troutleap's voice sounded above her and she opened her eyes, staring up at him.

Everything was blurry form the water, but she easily blinked it out. Fernmist was shaking all over, but tried to keep as still as possible.

"I know you're afraid, but you can't be giving in already," Troutleap growled, "You seemed _so_ desperate to get out, so I decided to let you up. Enjoy those breaths. They'll be your last."

She opened her mouth to speak, but he was prepared and shoved moss inside, "Shut it, Fernmist. I don't care what you have to say." His tail lashed as he spoke, with his paw curled over her throat, poised if she tried anything.

"What do you _wan_t?" she growled, though it came out weaker than she hoped, spitting out the moss.

"Your death; when you came to RiverClan, everyone _loved_ you because you were different and, like Robinsong said, 'interesting'. They all paid more attention to you and ignored me. With you gone, they'll pay attention to me again, and my brother will stop mooning over you," he began digging claws into the sides of her neck, a mix of hate and hurt reflecting in his eyes.

"No!" she hissed. She kicked him in the stomach, _hard_, but he only removed his paw, not moving at all otherwise.

"Ah… So, you want to make a deal, then," he offered, sheathing his claws and allowing her to sit up.

Fernmist scrambled to her paws and crouched, flattening her ears, "What do you mean?"

He shook his head, "I _mean,_ if you agree to be my mate, I won't _kill _you."

Her heart stopped, "_Mate? _But you hate me!" _Why would he want that? _

"It's quite simple, really. If you agree and become my mate, they'll all like me again, since they all like you. Oh, and it'll be even better when we have kits," he narrowed his eyes, a sly grin forming, tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Kits? Why would I agree to any of this?" her voice came as a hiss, but she definitely hadn't meant for it to.

Troutleap frowned, and pounced at Fernmist, knocked her over again, and scratched her face, leaving two slanted scratches across her forehead. He curled his paw around her temple down and across her cheek, dragging his claws through her skin as he explained, "Because if you don't, you'll regret it. I'll draw out the pain, so you'll feel every bit of it, and I won't let you go to StarClan so easily." He let the claws linger in her cheek for a bit.

She shrieked at the pain, and felt blood drip down into her eyes. She wanted him to stop. What he was doing now was torture enough and she didn't want to go through it again, so she gave in, "Fine! I'll be your mate, we'll have kits! Anything you want just let me go!" She cried out, though it was choked and much quieter than she had hoped.

He was already digging his claws into her shoulders, but he stopped and leapt off, "Good job, Fernmist," he mock-praised, releasing her and easily flipping her toward through river. He washed his paws off, and then headed toward camp, "I'll see you later then, _love_." He slunk into the shadows leaving Fernmist stunned and in pain, every limb aching, sore, and burning. The pain was indescribable, the agony beyond explanation.

She just lay there; limp, in a small puddle of her own blood, thinking about her mistakes. She would have to be Troutleap's mate now! "Why am I so _stupid?" _She mouthed, unable to make even a squeak now. She should have been in the warriors den now instead of here, curled up with Robinsong right beside her. But she was here, laying in the forest, hurt and hating herself. She lay there for what seemed like a moon, allowing the blood to stain her fur. Finally, she managed a crouching position and dragged herself forward, her belly fur only a whisker above the ground. She forced herself toward the camp, ignoring the blood dripping down her face, leaving drops on the ground, where they mixed with dirt.

Badgerstripe was guarding the camp entrance, tail wrapped neatly over his paws, and when he saw her, his eyes widened until she could see the white rims, "What happened?" he exclaimed as he rushed over, sniffing her face and shoulders, "You need to see Larkstorm and Lilypelt, _now_."

She shook her head, "I ran into a big patch of brambles. It's no big deal..." she tried to keep her voice steady, but she failed horribly.

"It _is_ a big deal, Fernmist. Your face and shoulders are covered in blood! Let's go..." He pressed against her, allowing her to lean on him.

Fernmist took the offer, and buried her crimson, sticky face into his black shoulder.

_Is becoming a warrior always this horrible?_

**(I know, it's short... I'm sorry... T_T I couldn't think of anything else to do with this chapter. Anyways, I hope you like this one. I don't think someone has done a plot like mine, with the turning into a cat _and _forced to have a mate and kits. I know people have done them seperately, though, and the human to cat thing is overused, but I couldn't think of anything else when I made a year ago (I know. It's sad.). Anyways, enough of my rambling. Review if you want. Any feedback is welcome, as always, but no flame please. I hope you enjoyed!)**


	10. Hiatus Note

Alright. I haven't been feeling the inspiration for this story lately, plus I have other things to work on (other stories, and school has recently started for me) so I don't really have the time either. I'm really sorry if there's anyone who is enjoying this story, but I'm going to be putting this story on hiatus for a while. I apologize if anyone doesn't like this, but I feel bad promising to post more often and then I don't. I hope you guys understand.


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